ISLAMABAD: A massive community-driven cleaning campaign of the banks of the River Indus in Jamshoro, a point where the peripheries are heavily populated by rural communities, will be launched on Friday to mark World Food Day, the theme for which this year is “Water is life, water is food”.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, which leads the World Food Day observance, says the cleaning campaign is the first awareness-raising event of a year-long drive to restore the Indus Basin ecosystem.

The cleaning campaign will be extended to selected districts along the Indus Basin through various agencies with ongoing community outreach initiatives. These district-level activities will include workshops, walks, drama performances, social media campaigns, and awareness programmes focused on water conservation and sustainable water use practices.

The theme has been aligned with the goals and objectives of the ‘Living Indus Initiative’ which recognises the significance of water resources in addressing climate challenges, particularly in Pakistan.

FAO says move is the first community-driven initiative to restore Indus Basin ecosystem

Florence Rolle, the FAO Representative in Pakistan, said that if the Indus had a voice, it would underscore its central role in shaping Pakistan’s population, economy, food, music, and culture since the beginning of Pakistan civilization. “If it had a voice, it would call for urgent help to address all the challenges it is facing, including glacier melting at an alarming pace, inconsistent canal water supply, and domestic and industrial pollution.”

“Pakistan’s agriculture sector benefits greatly from its abundant natural resources, water and soil. The country has the largest integrated irrigation network in the world, serving 13.8 million hectares of contiguous cultivated land,” she said.

The Living Indus Initiative is a major undertaking aimed at mobilising various initiatives to improve the ecological health of the Indus River Basin, particularly within Pakistan’s borders.

Recognising the urgency posed by climate change and its effects on the Indus River’s water system, Living Indus initiative is a collaborative venture between Pakistan and UN agencies, dedicated to repairing and restoring the ecological health of the Indus River Basin, especially in the face of pressing climate challenge.

The UN country team led by the UN resident coordinator, ministers for national food security and research, climate change, and water resources, Sindh government, civil society organisations, academia and private sector will roll out the country-wide cleaning campaign.

Owing to the potential influence of the youth in behaviour change campaigns like the Indus cleaning move, students from colleges and universities will join the campaign, inculcating a sense of responsibility and ownership of the Indus amongst the youth.

The UN agency says the idea is to rally communities living along the river Indus as the primary users, abusers and victims of any negative effects, to appreciate the need to safeguard the cleanliness of its banks and surroundings as a community of practice. Indeed, 80 per cent of water use in the Indus basin goes to agriculture for food production. The impact of agriculture on water quality and the impact of plastic usage on fish and aquatic life need to be understood and measured.

Pakistan food is mainly produced through irrigation with approximately 80 per cent of its cropped land being irrigated. Pakistan is the third country in the world in terms of the share of irrigated land out of total agricultural land.

Therefore, Pakistan’s food is extremely dependent on water. This is why this year’s theme holds particular significance for the country, the FAO representative said.

The FAO says the Indus Cleaning Campaign will not only promote the significance of clean water sources but also draw attention to the need to protect and restore the Indus and its ecosystem. It resonates with the Living Indus Initiative’s commitment to repairing and restoring natural ecosystems within the Indus Basin.

These activities will further promote a broader objective of inclusiveness, engaging communities and fostering a shared vision for a more equitable and stable future of resilient agriculture.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2023